Ilona Maher hilariously showcases her on-field camaraderie with rival player Megan Jones while treating her nose injury with ice

Ilona Maher shared a clip of her camaraderie with the English union rugby player Megan Jones, hilariously noting how her health setback didn't stop her from having fun. Despite the US player's exit early from the match, the Bristol Bears won against the Tigers on January 18.

Ilona Maher gained global fame for her unique content creation around body positivity and finding confidence in femininity for an athlete in masculine sports. Her stint at the 2024 Olympics with the US women's rugby sevens team brought the nation's first medal in the sport. She continued her excellence at Dancing With the Stars, finishing second with pro dancer, Alan Bersten.

Vying for the 2025 Rugby World Cup, the 28-year-old joined PWR's Bristol Bears, debuting in January against the Gloucester-Hartpury. Following a win against the Exeter Chiefs, the Bears faced the Leicester Tigers. Maher entered the field but left early after sustaining a nose injury.

In a recent Instagram post, she shared a video of her calling Tigers player Megan Jones for poking fun with a bleeding nose. Taking a jab at her playful nature, she wrote:

"Still trying to figure out how to stop"

Allowing everyone to perceive rugby beyond the toughness on the field, Maher talked about how her efforts to show the fun side of athletes and sports paid off with her massive following.

"This was kind of the trajectory I wanted it to take. I knew that in my sport, I wouldn’t just get to play my sport and be happy with it. I knew that I had to do more to have a comfortable life for myself, to spread my game, to spread rugby in general. So for years now, I’ve been leading up to this point, hoping to do what I’ve done," she told CNN.

Ilona Maher was also a part of the US women's rugby team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Ilona Maher doesn't want to be the only player to look out for in women's rugby

Ilona Maher at the Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears - Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby - (Source: Getty)

Since the Tokyo Olympics, Maher has been inspiring the crowd with breaking stigmas. Over the years, her confidence and unusual take on body image-related topics won the hearts of millions, making her the most followed rugby star on social media.

In her PWR debut match with the Bristol Bears, the Ashton Gate Stadium witnessed record fans flocking to watch Ilona Maher in action. The Olympian was happy about her fame but expressed her wish to see more athletes in the spotlight as inspirational figures.

"I've seen the power in it, I've seen the power of people connecting with the individual and then going to the sport. If we can have more people connect with Holly Aitchison, Jaz Joyce, Evie Gallagher, that brings them in," she said (via BBC).

"That's my goal - I love being a superstar and people call me the superstar of rugby but that's not enough for the sport, we can't just have one superstar. We need to have more, we need to have people connecting with so many different players and that is what will grow our game," Maher added.

Ilona Maher amassed a whopping 4.9 million followers on Instagram and 3.4 million on TikTok.